In early August, Wisconsin will open fall camp in preparation for the 2021 season opener against Penn State.

You know what that means -- position previews.

The safety room sees longtime contributor Eric Burrell move on to the NFL, but Jim Leonhard's room still has experience in the deepest level of the defense with Collin Wilder and Scott Nelson.

Who can add to the rotation in this area of the defensive backfield, especially with the news that Titus Toler was not listed on the 2021 fall camp roster?

Position-by position previews: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide receivers | Tight Ends/Fullbacks | Offensive line | Defensive line | Inside Linebackers | Outside Linebackers | Cornerbacks |

Both projected starters, Nelson and Wilder, bring experience and playmaking ability to Wisconsin's safety room, and the two combined for 52 tackles last season. Wilder finished third on the team in that category (30) while adding a tackle for loss and an interception.

Leonhard, who still coaches the safeties in addition to his defensive coordinator role, discussed Wilder's physicality in late April and how "he's going to play as fast as possible" every down. Though the assistant noted he was "giving him little things, to play with a little bit more control at times early in the down," he also extended a huge compliment to the former walk-on who transferred from Houston.

"Really the last two years, you look at [Wilder's] snaps, we're a significantly better team when he's on the field, and that he's always been in that rotation," Leonhard said on April 26.

"But from a physicality standpoint, and from a play speed and just kind of making things right at times. Somebody's missed a tackle, and he shows up and gets it on the ground. Some little things that he doesn't really get credit for, it's hard to see if you're not a coach. You kind of help set the tone ... [for] those defenses the last couple years."

Nelson tied for third on the team in tackles for loss (four) with inside linebacker Jack Sanborn in the six games he played last season. He led the team in interceptions with two -- both he and Wilder recorded second-half picks against Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.

Leonhard, during that late April availability, believed Nelson "had a huge year" in 2020 and thought he was seeing the confidence in his body again after his torn ACL in 2019.

"He's able to push himself and do things that maybe even last year he was not quite sure he was ready for," Leonhard said. "Making plays helps with that confidence, and now you're really starting to see the belief that he is not only where he was before that ACL, he's significantly past it, and the consistency in his play and his playmaking's showing up every day."

With Burrell gone, the question raised to the forefront is: who will back up the two presumed first-teamers? The area of focus draws an even sharper lens considering the revelation of Titus Toler not being listed on the 2021 fall roster.

Toler, a former three-star recruit from Long Beach, Calif. (St. John Bosco), played in two games last season before an injury cost him the final five contests. He reeled in a late interception in the 2020 opener against Illinois. The safety did not participate in the five open practices to reporters in the spring and "is applying for a medical exemption due to injuries and is still enrolled as a student," according to a UW official on Wednesday.

Leonhard told reporters in late April that "it was gonna be huge spring for [Toler], just to continue to grow in the defense and for us to learn more about him. He missed this significant amount of time."

At that time, Leonhard anticipated Toler to return for fall camp, but that has obviously changed.

John Torchio appears to be in a solid spot to be a contributor. The walk-on has played 13 games the last two seasons, including five of the seven in 2020. Leonhard believed the walk-on from California started to develop and deserved more time on the field last year.

"He's gotten better in every way here this spring so I'm excited," Leonhard said. "You know, he's playing with more urgency. I think you're seeing his body and kind of figuring out where he is at the college level with his body and starting to trust that and playing with a lot of confidence. He's another guy that the ball finds, and he does a great job of impacting the practices."

Travian Blaylock worked in a couple of sessions open to reporters this spring, according to BadgerBlitz.com's notes. The fourth-year defensive back went down with what UW officially called a left leg injury during the April 17 practice. However, Leonhard appeared to be happy with the former corner's progression when able to participate.

"Trey's ... just missing a couple practices here at the end so, for the most part, he was available this spring and able to take huge strides forward," Leonhard said.

When speaking about both Toler and Blaylock, Leonhard mentioned their versatility. Unfortunately for the Badgers, they will not have the former's services going forward.

"The ability to cover, the ability to play in space, but also physical aspect at the line of scrimmage -- blitzing, different things like that -- so kind of opens up the world when you have guys like that," Leonhard said.

"Sometimes it's a corner, right? You look at Natrell Jamerson, was kind of the same mold of he played corner, he played nickel and all sudden he kind of ends up in that safety position, and you use his athleticism to create some matchups that are more in your favor. Hoping to find guys that that fit that mold. 'Jam' was pretty special for us his senior year and trying to find guys that are flexible."

Walk-on Tyler Mais enters his fifth year in the program in 2021 and has played in 21 games the last two seasons. Relatively new to the room, Preston Zachman started his education of playing safety earlier this year from inside linebacker. Leonhard stated that Zachman, the second-year player from Pennsylvania, had "done a great job" this spring.

Wisconsin locked in four-star, in-state standout Hunter Wohler as part of its vaunted 2021 class. The program listed the No. 12 safety and No. 174 player in the nation at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. What are the Muskego, Wis., native's objectives this season?

"My goals are just to come in and have fun," Wohler told BadgerBlitz.com in mid-May. "This is one of the things that I've dreamed about, so I think just coming in, have fun, put it all out there, compete every day and then see what happens after that."